Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Colfax School Board met Monday night with topics discussed including sports cooperatives and combines, the athletic complex and more.
Superintendent Jerry Pugh opened the meeting with comments of appreciation for the newly-completed track, followed by a note on Colfax volleyball's fifth-place finish at state.
“Successful run, not what we're used to in volleyball,” he said. “But the next day, they ran right through their two opponents ... it shows a lot of character.”
He noted that wrestling and basketball practices started Monday.
In the consent agenda part of the meeting, the board approved a personnel report which included the hiring of Casey Zander, high school assistant volleyball coach.
Board member Terry Huber asked why they were doing this now.
Pugh explained an e-mail to him went into the wrong file, otherwise it would have been before the board a month ago.
On another personnel note, Pugh reported that Nicole Wells, the soon-to-be assistant secretary at the high school, will start Dec. 1 in Colfax. She will be introduced to the board at its Dec. 12 meeting.
The board then fielded three Policies for Second Reading, deleting one and approving two of the Washington State School Director's Association (WSDDA) guidelines.
Next, the board approved the elementary-high school “Highly Capable Program,” a formality as a vote is required each year, although the program remains the same.
“Zero changes to it,” said Pugh.
The board followed with an approval of the annual wrestling cooperative with Garfield/Palouse. The Viking wrestlers practice with Colfax and bring another coach.
“That puts us up to 13-14-15 kids and two coaches, instead of one coach for 10 kids,” said Nathan Holbrook, Colfax High athletic director. “It helps us out quite a bit.”
Next, the board approved a combine with Oakesdale for the 2017 softball season. The combine, which would be in its third year, brings in Oakesdale players to play on the Colfax team. Under WIAA rules, Colfax has to absorb Oakesdale's enrollment number and still qualify as a 2B school. Otherwise the arrangement would push Colfax softball to 1A. This does not apply to the cooperative for wrestling because Garfield/Palouse wrestlers compete for their school in the individual sport.
Holbrook also informed the board that WIAA has adjusted the rule for allowing eighth-graders to fill out high school sports rosters.
By the new rule, 104 students or less is the new enrollment cutoff for 2016-2020. Thus, no eighth-graders will be allowed to suit up for Colfax for the next four years. The change mainly affects softball and baseball. The rule change took effect at the start of the school year.
An appeal is possible, but unlikely, Holbrook said.
“It's not looking like it's going to come back in our favor,” he said.
The drop in potential numbers may put junior varsity baseball and softball in danger.
“Right now, we're looking at being very borderline for JV softball and baseball,” he said.
Board members asked about junior high programs for the two spring sports.
“We haven't got enough data that says we can sustain a junior high program now,” Holbrook said.
“I'm not in favor of it,” Pugh said, citing Pony League opportunities and more for young players.
Huber spoke next, noting how eighth-graders played last year in the high school baseball program.
“It's somewhat dangerous, really, it could be,” he said.
ASB representative Jayden Burt announced a blood drive in honor of student Isaiah Buri and told the board of the ASB's involvement in Tom's Turkey Drive at Rosauer's in Colfax.
Burt added that the FFA district jamboree is coming up, along with the FFA trap shooting competition.
Next on the agenda, Pugh gave an update on the athletic complex.
“The bathrooms will be delivered next week,” he said of three pre-built sections.
“The city's done a great job,” said Pugh, referring to the joint City of Colfax-school district project.
Installation of the three sections is expected to take one day.
Avista will inspect the conduit and install a new transformer and connect the electrical meter. Pearson Fencing will install a six-foot fence to the south of the restrooms building and a three-foot fence in front.
Pugh announced the first invitational to be held on the new track will be March 25, and they hope to get at least 10 team entries.
The school has also received requests from 1B schools in the county to host a meet.
“There will be a fee schedule to host a meet,” said Pugh.
Revenue from the fees will go into a capital projects reserve fund set up specifically for the track.
“Our commitment is not to panhandle when it comes time to resurface the track,” Pugh said.
A last note on the athletic complex, the superintendent talked about the scoreboard.
“We'll need to resolve the scoreboard,” he said. “Its time is ticking. ... That's gonna be a chunk of change.”
Next on the agenda was the WSSDA conference in Spokane this week, Nov. 16-19.
A board dinner Thursday night will be an official work session.
On Friday, Pugh and the board will meet with Marie Sullivan, the district's consultant for the Eastern Washington Quality Schools Coalition. Last spring, Colfax joined the newly-formed group, with 23 schools contributing a flat fee to hire a public affairs consultant to represent them to the state legislature in Olympia.
“This is really an important year for education in the legislature,” Pugh said.
The meeting concluded with items from the board, during which Huber made a comment.
“With basketball coming up, could we do something behind the high school? A lot of people park back there,” he said, noting that parts of the area were overgrown.
“I'll have Mike and Mark take a look,” Pugh said of the maintenance department.
Board member David Nails then mentioned the school musical opening this week, “Oklahoma!,” Cary Cammack's 25th production for the school.
“He would be a great football coach,” Nails said. “He's got 40 kids, with one coach. In football you've got 10.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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